Calculating machine



June 20, 1933. T, M. BUTLER CALCULATING MACHINE Filed Jan. 2, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l u w REV/M mN /R N m E M N June 20, 1933. BUTLER 1,914,401

CALCULATING MACHINE Filed Jan. 2, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 5/ INVENTOR J homas YZBuf/er mmwwww ATTORNEYS Patented June 20, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE A THOMAS M. BUTLER,

MACHINE COMPANY, 01' DETROIT,

OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO BURBOUGHS ADDING MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION .015 MICHIGAN CALCULATING MACHINE Application flled January 2, 1832. Serial No. 584,392.

This invention relates to a calculating machine' and particularly to a feature known as enforced designation, that is, a construction which forces the operator, .in order to 6 operate the machine, to condition the machine to print certain designating characters.

Constructions for this general purpose have heretofore been developed, but they. have been more or less complicated and not as flexible as desired in the facility with which the number of banks of keys used for designation purposes may e varied. Some classes of work require depression of a designation key in one '15 others require depression of a key in each of two banks. Still others may require depression of a designation key in three or more banks. Heretofore it has been customary to build a special construction for each of these classes of work and, when the number of banks was increased above one, the construction has been rather complicated. The present invention is directed more particularly to an extremely simple construction that may be quickly and easily adapted for control by one, two, three, or any desired number of banks of designation keys.

The general object of theinvention may therefore be said to be to provide an improved controlling mechanism for calculatmachines. ore particularly, the object is to provide a more simple and flexible-enforced designation feature that will enable one or more banks of keys to be used for designation puroses. y

p Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the followlng specification and drawings. 7

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is aleft side elevation of a calculating machine with the invention applied thereto, the parts being shown in normal position;

bank only while Fig. 2 is a partial side elevation similar to Fig. 1 with the parts in the position they occupy when the necessary designation keys have been depressed;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of ,a calculating machine with the invention applied thereto, all parts being in normal posiion; s

Fig. 4 is a partial perspective similar to Fig. 3 with a designation key depressed in each of two designation columns, but not depressed in a third. 4

The invention is shown applied to the Burroughs Portable calculatlng machine, the construction of which is well known, and, accordingly, this construction will be described only briefly, it being understood that the invention can also be used with machines of other types.

General calculating machine features The machine includes a plurality of banks of depressible amount keys 10 (Fig. 1) and a bank of control keys 11 (Fig. 3), thedatter including keys such as the total key T, sub-. .total key ST, error, non-add, etc. The

amount keys control the forward movement of differential stop bars 12 connected to actuator racks 13 with which one or more registers 14 are adapted to cooperate. A suitable printing mechanism is provided including t pe bars 15 connected to the actuators and di er- 'entially positioned at the same time that the shaft is first rocked clockwise from the posi-.

tion of Fig. 1 and then returned counterclockwise, the two movements being known as the forward and return stroke of the machine. The drive shaft may be rocked clockwise by means of a hand crank 21 or by a motor of any suitable type such as shown in Horton Patent No. 1,781,689.

Enforced designation With the present invention, any one or more of the banks of keys may be used as designation keys. When this is done the key tops are inscribed with suitable characters and the type bar for the bank or banks of designation keys is fitted with type com prising characters corresponding to the respective key stops. The registers 14 may or may not cooperate with the actuators in the desi ation banks. If no cooperation is desire the actuator racks can be left blank so that they donot'engage the register pinions.

The bank or banks of keys chosen for enforced designation exercise control of the machine as follows:

25; Fixed to the drive shaft 20 is an arm having a nose 31 positioned immediately above a shoulder-32 on a pawl 33 pivoted at 34 to the full stroke sector 35 that is connected to the mechanism of the machine. As

-the drive shaft 20 rocks clockwise from its Fig. 1 position during the forward stroke of the machine, the nose 31 on arm 30 engages the shoulder 32 on pawl 33 and pulls the full stroke sector 35 clockwise to give the machine a forward stroke of operation. Upon release of the handle the parts return to normal under the influence of springs, not shown.

Provision is made for automatically disconecting the pawl 33 from the arm 30'when 40? the machine is not properly conditioned for 7 operation. For this purpose, there is pivoted to the side of the machine a disconnecting member 40 having a nose 41 normally positioned in the path of a shoulder 42 on the pawl 33. As the machine starts to operate with the parts in the position shown in Fig. 1, the shoulder 42 of pawl 33 will engage the nose 41 disconnecting member 40 and the pawl will be rocked counterclockwise to disengage it from the arm 30 which automatically disconnects the machine from the operating or driving means.

Under normal conditions the nose 41 of the member 40 is automatically removed from the path of the shoulder 42 of pawl 33 as the machine starts to operate. This is accomplished by an arm 43 pivoted at 44 and provided with a stud 45 operating in a slot 46 in the member 40. As the machine starts to operate the arm 43 is rocked clockwise, as viewed in Fig. 1, by connections, not shown, but which are fully disclosed in Patent No. 1,853,050. This rocks the disconnecting member 4O counterclockwise to remove the' nose 41 from the path of shoulder 42. The

disconnecting member is thus arranged to be automatically disabled as the machine starts to operate.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated, the designation keys exercise control of the automatic disconnection. A detent 50 for blocking movement of the member 40 is provided in the form of an arm extending from a yoke 51 (Fig. 3). The end of detent 50 has a lateral lug 52 adapted to engage the end 53. of the member 40. This de tent normally occupies the position illustrated in Fig. 1 and it will be evident that, as long as the detent occupies this position, the member 40 cannot be rocked counterclockwise to move its nose 41 out of the path of the shoulder 42 on pawl 33.

The yoke 51 is pivoted on a cross shaft 54 of the machine and provided with another arm 55 having a bifurcated end in which is positioned a projection 56 extending downwardly from a yoke-shaped bail 57 that extends across the machine near its front and adjacent the bank of keys. Bail 57 is pivoted to the cross shaft 58 and urged clockwise (Fig. 3) by a spring 59. It will be observed that the influence of this spring acting through the projection 56 and arm 55 tends to swing the yoke 51 counterclockwise to move the detent arm 50 from the position of Fig. 1 to the position of Fig. 2. However, the bail 57 is restrained from movement under the influence of its spring until the proper designation keys have been depressed as will now be described.

The yoke 57 has a number of upstandin projections 60, preferably one for each ban of keys. Each of the banks that has beenchosen as a designation bank is provided with a slide plate or control member 61 which takes the place of certain stationary plates that are usually provided. Each slide plate has a curved or hooked end 62 positioned to engage the projection 60 for the particular bank with which the slide plate is associated, the parts being normally positioned so that the plates restrain the bail 57 against movement under the influence of itsspring 59. The plates thus form latch plates for the bail.

The curved end of each plate forms a slot or opening that is sufiiciently large to permit the plate to move forward when a key is depressed without the opposite end of the slot engaging the projection 60. Each'of these slide plates has a. series of upwardly extending noses 63 providedwith cam faces that are positioned to be engaged by the stems of their respective keys when the keys are depressed so that, as a key in a given bank is depressed, the slide plate for thatbank is moved forward. The slide plates are urged to the rear by springs 64 (Fig. 1) the rearward movement of the plates being limited by the engagement of lugs 65 in-the plates (Fi 1) with a limit shaft 66 on the key board. e springs 64 thus exert a first, third and fifth banks from the left in Figs. 3 and 4. Any other banks or a fewer or a larger number of banks could be used if desired. This construction is very advan tageous for adapting the machine to the wide variety of demands from customers. Almost given,

any combination of designation key control can be obtained without added expense.

It is often not desirable to require depression of a designation key or keys when a total is to be taken and means has been provided to disable the enforced designation feature when the total, sub-total, or other control keys are depressed.

Referring to Fig. 3, the bank of control keys 11 is provided with a slide plate 70 similar to the plates 61 and urged rearwardly by a spring against the limit shaft 66 which is engaged by a lug 72 on the plate 70. The plate has the usual cam noses 73 that are engaged by the control keys as the latter are depressed to force the plate 70 forward. In this case the notch 74 in the end of plate 70 is positioned so that its rear end is closely adjacent the projection 60 on bail 57. The result is that, when one of the control keys, such as the total key, is depressed, the bail 57 is forcibly rocked clockwise against the tension of the springs 64 of the slide plates 61 of the designation banks to move detent arm to released position. The designation control is thus automatically disabled when one of the control keys is depressed.

This automatic disabling feature does not interfere with the regular control of bail 57 when no control keys are depressed because the slot 74 in the end of plate 70 permits the lug or projection on bail 57 to freely move forward the necessary distance.

Operation While the operation of the mechaniim should be clear from the description already a brief rsum will be made.

The operator depresses the amount keys corresponding to the item to be entered after which he must depress a key in each of the designation colu'mns. If he depresses the proper designation keys the plates 61 in the banks in which these keys have been depressed will be moved forward from the position of Fig. 1 to that of Fig. 2. This releases the bail 57 which is thereupon moved clockwise by its spring 59. This rocks the yoke 51 with its detent arm 50counterclockwise to the position of Fig. 2 and releases the disconnecting member 40. As the machine starts to operate, the arm 43 moves from the position of Fig. 1 to that of Fig. 2 and member 40 is moved so that its nose is out of the path of the shoulder 42 on pawl 33. The operating means then drives the machine to register the item that has been entered. to print digits corresponding to the items, and to print designation characters corresponding to the designation keys depressed.

If the operator should fail to depress one I or more of the designation keys, the plates 61 corresponding to the bank or banks in which no designation keys have been depressed, will not be moved forward with the result that said latch plate or plates will hold the bail 57 in the position of Fig. 1. Depression of one designation key when two must be depressed does not release the bail 57. All of the designation keys must be depressed in order to release this bail because as long as any one of the latches 61 is not moved forward the bail cannot be moved clockwise by the spring 59. When the bail 57 is thus held from moving under the influence of its spring. the parts remain in the position of Fig. 1 and the detent arm 50 blocks movement of the disconnecting member 40 so that, as the machine starts to operate. the shoulder 42 on pawl 33 engages the nose 41 of member 40.

and the pawl 33 is rocked counterclockwise to disengage the machine from the operating means.

, When the operator desires to take a total, he simply depresses the total key and operates the machine,-the enforced designation control being automatically disabled by de-* pression of the total key.

It will be readily appreciated, with the construction above described, any one of the banks of keys can be quickly and easily arranged to control the operation of the machine. Instead of having to rebuild a machine .and equip it with special parts of a complicated nature, it is merely necessary to equip the chosen bank, with a slide plate of the kind described instead of the usual stationary plate. Of course, it is also necessary to mark the tops of the keys and to provide the type bar with the proper characters, but

this is necessary in any event.

It is to be understood that the construction shown is for purposes of illustration only and that changes may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A calculating machine having a plurality of banks of depressible keys, an operating means associated with said-machine to operate-it, and mechanism associated with said operating means and keys requiring the depression of a key in one or more of said banks in order to condition said operating means to operate said machine, said mechanism including controlling members that may be interchangeably associated with any of said banks of keys so that any one or more of said banks may be quickly and easily arranged to control said mechanism.

2. A calculating machine having a plurality of banks of depressible keys, an operating means associated with said machine to operate it, and mechanism associated with said operating means and keys requiring the depression of a key in one or more of said banks in order to condition said operating means to operate said machine, said mechanism including controlling members comprising slide plates interchangeably associated with one or more banks of said keys whereby any one or more of said banks may be quickly and easily arranged to control said mechanism.

3. A calculating machine having a plurality of banks of depressible keys, an operatlng means associated with said machine to operate it, and mechanism associated 'with said operating means and said keys requiring depression of a key in one or more of said banks in order to operate said machine, said mechanism including a bail extending across the machine adjacent said banks of keys and slide plates for said keys having portions cooperating with said bail,'said slide plates being interchangeably applicable to eachof said banks of keys so that any one or more of said banks may be quickly arranged to control said bail to control said mechanism.

4. A calculating machine having a plurality of banks of depressible keys, an operating means associated with said machine to operate it, disconnectible driving connections between said operating means and said machine, and mechanism associated wlth said 7 driving connections and certain of said banks of keys acting'to automatically disconnect the machine from said driving means as the machine starts to operate when a key has not been depressed in one or more of said banks, said mechanism including interchangeable control members for said banks of keys whereby any one or more of said banks may be quickly and easily arranged to control said mechanism.

5. A calculating machine having a plurality of banks of depressible keys, an operating means associatedwith said machine for operating it, disconnectlble connections between said operating means and said machine,

means normally positioned to act on said connections to cause said machine to be disconnected from said operating means as the latter starts to operate, means urged 1n a direction to release said last named means including a bail extending across the machine ad acent said banks of keys, and movable plates for one or more of said banks having portions means as the latter starts to operate the machine, means normally acting during each opeartion of the machine to condition said connections to disable said disconnecting means, a detent for preventing said disconnecting means from being disabled, means urging said detent to released position including a bail extending across the machine with projections on it adjacent each bank of said keys, and a movable plate for one or more of said banks for restraining said bail, said plates having a loose engagement with said projections so that when a key in a given bank is depressed its plate may move to released position while other plates hold said bail in restrained position. i

7. A calculating machinehaving an operating means, a movable pawl connecting said operating means to said machine, a disconnecting member for engaging said pawl as the machine starts to operate to move the pawl to disconnect the machine from said operating means, means normally acting to move said disconnecting member to disabled position as the machine starts to operate, a detent for blocking movement of said disconnecting member, a bail connected to said detent and extending across said machine, means urging said bail toward a position for releasingsaid detent, and a plurality of banks of keys one or more of which have movable plates normally restraining said bail, said plates being moved to releasing position by depression of a key in their respective banks.

8. A calculating machine having an operating means, disconnectible driving connections between said operating means and said machine, disconnecting means adapted to act on said connections to disconnect the machine from said driving means, said disconnecting means be'ng movable to dsabled position, depressible keys, and mechanism under the control ofsaid keys for controlling said disconnecting means, said key controlled mechanism including portions urged in a direction to enable sa d disconnecting means to be placed in disabled conditi'm, said key controlled mechanismalso including members controlled by said keys for restraining said portions but adapted to release them upon depression of one or more of said keys.

9. A calculating machine having depressible designation keys, an operating means associated with said machine to operate it, mechanism normallyconditioned to prevent said ma- 5 chine from being operated by said operating means, said mechanism including a bail urge in a direction to condition sai mechanism for operation of the machine, movable plates controlled by said designation keys for restraining said bail until one or more of said keys is depressed, a total key, and a movable plate for said total key connected to said bail so that said bail will be forcibly moved against the restraining influence of said designation key plates when said total key is depressed, to thereby condition said mechanism for operation of the machine independently of said designation keys.

10. A calculating machine having designation keys, an operating means associated with said machine to operate it, disconnectible driving connections between said operating means and said machine, mechanism associated with said driving connections urged in a direction to condition said connections for operation of said machine, controlling means between said designation keys and said mechanism restraining said mechanism from movement until one or more of said desi ation keys have been depressed, a total ta ing means, and connections between said totaltaking means and said mechanism operable to forcibly move said mechanism when said total-taking means is conditioned for totaltaking, to condition said driving connections for operation of the machine independently of the controlling means controlled by saiddesignation keys.

11.. A calculating machine havin one or more banks ofdepressible designation keys, an operating means for said machine, disconnectible connections between said operating means and said machine, disconnecting means normally positioned to disconnect said connections as the machine starts to operate, means for moving said disconnecting means to disabled position as the machine starts to operate, a detent mechanism blocking movement of said disconnecting means including tent, movable plates associated with said banks'of designation keys and connected to said bail for restrainin it until a key in one or. more of said banks as been depressed, a total key, and a movable plate for said total key connected with said-bail so that, u on depression of said total key, said bail wil be for operation of said machine, connections asa bail urged in a direction to release said desociated with said'designation keys and said pressed, a total-taking means, and connections associated with said total-taking means and said mechanism, said.total-taking connections leaving said mechanism free to operate under the control of said designation keys but acting to operate said mechanism,

when the total-taking means is conditioned for total-taking, independently of the connections controlled by said designation keys.

13. A calculating machine having banks of depressible designation keys, an operating each of said slide plates being moved to releasing position when a key in its bank is depressed, the connection between each plate -mechan ism'for restraining said mechanism until one or more of said keys has been deand said bail being such as to allow each plate to move to released position while the bail isheld unreleased by the slide plate or plates in banks in which no key has been depressed.

14. A calculating machine having a plurality of banks of depressible designation keys, an operating means for said machine, and mechanism normally conditioned to prevent said operating means from operating said machine,l said mechanism including a bail extending across the machine adjacent the banks of depressible keys, means urging said bail in a. direction to condition said mechanism to enable said operating means to operate the machine, and movable lates associated with two or more banks 0 said keys, said movable plates having slots engaging over said bail, the width of said slots being such as to enable each of said plates to be moved when a key is depressed to release the bail while said bail remains held by the uni moved plate or plates.

15. A calculating machine having a plurality of banks of depressible designation keys, a bank of control keys, operating means for operating the machine, and mechanism normally conditioned to prevent said operat-' ing means from o crating said machine, said mechanism inclu ing a bail extending across the machine adjacent the rows of ke s, a movable plate for one or more banks 0 said designation keys each plate being. adapted to' be moved by depression of a key in its bank, each plate having a slot engaging over said bail, said slot being normally positioned relative to the bail so as to normally restrain the bail but said slotbeing of such width that said plate may be moved to release the bail Without moving said bail if the bail'is otherwise held against movement, a movable plate for said bank of control keys adapted to be moved by depression of a control key and having a slot engaging over said bail, said slot in said control bank plate being positioned relative to said bail so that when said plate is moved said bail will be moved, the 10 width of said slot in said control bank plate being such as to permitsaid bail to move to releasing position when said control bank plate is not moved.

In testimony whereof, I have subscribed my name.

. THOMAS M. BUTLER. 

